Parental control services are a panacea for modern parents. Children have gadgets and surf the Internet or social media platforms all the time, which leads to several major problems. First, they cannot control their time properly, and they may not finish their homework or forget about other duties because of this. Second, the Internet is full of dangers, such as fraudsters and online predators, and only parents can protect their children from them.
Parental control tools are the main weapon for parents in this fight. Whether it is a spy app for Android or an installable tracker for iOS, their main aim is online activity monitoring, location tracking, and access to messaging apps. Different types of parental controls exist, more or less suitable for different goals, so today, we will look at them and discuss their differences as well as the situations where one type can be more useful than the other.
Phone Spy Apps
The first category we are going to look at is phone spy apps. Many people associate the word “spy” with negative connotations, but in this case, it has no bad context. Phone spy apps are software installed on a child’s mobile device that informs parents about all the activities taking place on it. For instance, if your 15-year-old son opens a website with adult content and he has a phone spy installed on it, you will be informed about it, and you can talk to him or simply block the undesired websites.
Phone spy apps are mostly anonymous and secret applications that function in the background mode and are not visible to the device owner. They work in such a way because children, especially teenagers, may not actually be happy about having a spy app on their cell phone and may argue about this or even change the gadget. It is not because the concept of a spy app is bad itself, just… Teenagers argue about everything, you know.
The most prominent titles in this category are uMobix and mSpy. The first one is just a better version of the second one: faster, more stable in its functionality, and more reliable. For instance, here are the features where uMobix shines in contrast to mSpy:
- offers full access to Facebook and Instagram on iOS as if you were the device owner;
- doesn’t require rooting or jailbreak;
- provides screenshot reporting with 5-second intervals;
- 1-minute installation on Android;
- phone activity log for iOS and online status indicator for Android.
If we look at their common features – there are a lot of them:
- GPS location tracking;
- social media platforms monitoring;
- browsing history tracking;
- messages monitoring;
- access to call logs;
- access to photos and videos on the device, and many others.
As phone spy apps are to be installed on the device, it is important to mention their compatibility peculiarities here. If your child has an Android, there is no other way but to install it manually on their device. It means that you need to get the phone in your hands for a few minutes and be able to unlock it. Things are a bit easier with iOS, as remote installation via iCloud is available for this platform.
After installation and registration, parents get access to the online platform, where all the tracked information is sent and stored for some time. It can be accessed by parents from any device and at any time they need, which makes it a convenient parental monitoring tool.
Phone Number Trackers
This type of parental monitoring tool is mostly aimed at location monitoring. The greatest thing about them is that you do not usually need to install them anywhere. Number trackers like GEOfinder.mobi are online-based, anonymous, and only require parents to know their child’s mobile phone number to check their location.
The algorithm they use is very simple: a tracking link is generated and sent to the provided number. As soon as this link is opened, Google Maps shares the target’s location with the sender, no matter what corner of the world the first one is in.
Such trackers are great tools for parents whose children live in another city or went to a different country for studies or work. A quick SMS with a tracking link makes it much easier to check where the person is and if they are fine. However, if you want to know what your child does daily, what websites visits, how much time spends scrolling their phone, etc., such trackers are not the best choice as they simply will not provide the required information.
Parental Control Monitoring Tools
Parental control monitoring tools are very similar to phone spy apps, but the main point is that they are not anonymous and are stealthy. Parents can approach their children and request that they unlock their phones to install an app like Bark. It will be protected by a password created by parents, so children will be able to neither delete it nor change the settings.
Parental control monitoring tools are, first of all, aimed at screen time control. They will inform parents if their children spend too much time scrolling Facebook or Instagram or if they open a social media platform at school during class.
In addition to that, Bark and similar apps will notify parents if their children receive some dangerous or suspicious messages or content. There are content filters that can be set up for certain words and expressions, and they help to protect children from online fraudsters and predators.
Which Tool to Choose
To choose the best tool for your case, you need to understand your purposes first. If you do not want to monitor your children secretly, parental control monitoring tools might be good for you. After you install an app like Bark and set up the passwords, you will always know if something suspicious or dangerous happens. However, Bark lacks some features – it doesn’t allow you to set strict time limits for specific apps, control the contact list, or remotely lock the device. It also might not help you control your child’s life effectively – knowing that there is a tracker, they will simply not discuss their plans via the phone or get another secret device.
Phone number trackers, in general, and GEOfinder, in particular, are good if you only want to know your child’s location. They work very well if your kid lives or studies abroad, and you sometimes just want to know where they are. Phone number trackers do not access messages, social media platforms, or browsing history, so if you need more control over your child’s phone, phone spy apps, such as uMobix, are a better option.
Conclusion
You can choose the type of parental control that best fits your needs. Luckily, there is a choice. Phone spy apps are great for secret and anonymous monitoring of your child’s phone, while parental control monitoring tools work well for parents who do not want to hide. Number trackers are good if you only want to check your child’s location from time to time; you can simply send an SMS with a tracking link and get a pin on the map in seconds. Choose what to use based on your needs!
With over a decade in the tech field, Bogdan blends technical expertise with insights on business innovation in technology.
A regular contributor to TMS Outsource's blog, where you'll find sharp analyses on software development, tech business strategies, and global tech dynamics.
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